Two former Murdoch editors have raised fresh questions over claims that the
former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was still being paid by News
International while working for David Cameron.

The Prime Minister is once again facing embarrassment over his decision to hire the former News of the World editor after the BBC reported Mr Coulson received hundreds of thousands of pounds from the newspaper group after he was hired by the Conservative Party.

It is alleged that News International continued paying him in instalments until the end of 2007. If confirmed, it would Mr Coulson was receiving money from Rupert Murdoch's media empire for at least five months while working as the Conservative's Director of Communications, a role for which he was apparently paid £275,000 a year.

The payments were said to be part of a "compromise agreement" following his resignation from the NoW after royal editor Clive Goodman was convicted of phone hacking.

This morning, two of News International's former editors said they did not receive any payment when they left the company.

Writing on Twitter, the Sunday Times former editor Andrew Neil questioned the apparent arrangement his former employer had with Mr Coulson.